1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to electronic system mounting units. In particular, the present invention is an isolation system mount for mounting shock and temperature--sensitive electronic equipment to the barrel of non-recoiled artillery.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recoiled artillery, artillery that includes a mechanism which absorbs shock experienced during gun firing, is pointed or aimed through the use of electronic navigation systems mounted to the gun tube or barrel. Electronic navigation systems of these types are sensitive to the heat and shock which can be generated during gun firing. By way of example, the electronic navigation systems can have reliability junction temperature and terminal junction failure limits in the range of 200-300.degree. F., and a shock reliability limit on the order of 20 Gs at frequencies through 50 Hz. However, these reliability and terminal failure level limits are generally sufficiently high enough to withstand the operating environment of recoiled artillery, even during rapid firing sequences.
The temperature and shock environment of non-recoiled artillery is much more extreme than that of recoiled artillery since the shock absorbing mechanism no longer exists. By way of example, the barrel of a 120 mm mortar can reach temperatures of 600.degree. F. during rapid firing sequences and shock levels of 40 Gs to 70 Gs at 20 Hz. Electronic navigation systems would generally be incapable of precise and repeatable pointing operation under these conditions if they were mounted directly to the barrel.
The use of a shock-absorbing mount for securing an electronic navigation system to non-recoiled artillery has been suggested. The mount includes a navigation system base plate supported between a pair of clamp plates mounted to and extending perpendicularly from the artillery barrel at spaced-apart positions. The base plate is slidably suspended from the barrel clamp plates on metal rods, thereby enabling the base plate and navigation system mounted thereon to slide on the rods between the barrel clamp plates in a direction parallel to the longitudinal barrel axis. Springs around each rod and between the edge of the base plate and the barrel clamp plates absorb some of the shock to which the navigation system would otherwise be subjected. This approach, however, would provide only limited shock and temperature isolation.
It is evident that there is a need for improved systems for mounting sensitive electronic equipment to artillery. In particular, there is a need for mounting systems which will enable currently available navigation systems to be used on non-recoiled artillery. Any such mounting system must be reliable and capable of providing a high degree of temperature and shock isolation, even during rapid fire environments. The mounting system must also be efficient to manufacture.